UNIT ONE Present Simple Tense

Structure: To form the Present Simple Tense we use the verb base form (go, work, speak, study). In 3rd person singular (he, she, it), the base form of the verb takes -s/es. (Auxiliary verbs "be," "do," "have", which can also be used as main verbs, are exceptions.) Affirmative form I/ you/ we/ they work he/she/it works /-s/ go - goes /-es/ watch - watches /-es/ play - plays /-s/ study - studies /-es/ ! Remember: to be I am you/we/they are he/she/it is to do I/you/we/they do he/she/it does to have I/you/we/they have he/she/it has Negative form I , you, we, they DO NOT (DONT) WORK he, she, it DOES NOT (DOESNT) WORK

1. She doesnt often go to the cinema. 2. I dont get up early at the weekend. 3. They dont speak English very well. Interrogative form DO I you we they WORK?

DOES he/she/it

WORK?

1. Do they speak foreign languages? 2. Do you want a banana? 3. Does your sister play the piano? Questions and short answers: Do you like spaghetti? Yes, I do. No, I dont. Does she know Bulgarian? Yes, she does. No, she doesnt. Notes about formation of the 3rd person singular (he, she, it): If the verb ends in -ss, -sh, -ch, -x or -o, add -es to the base form: kiss - kisses, finish - finishes, watch - watches, mix - mixes, go - goes If the verb ends in consonant + y change y to i and add -es: study - studies, copy - copies, try - tries, carry carries

We use the Present Simple Tense:

when we talk about things that happen repeatedly or habitually With Present Simple Tense we often use time expressions such as always, often, sometimes, usually, seldom, on Saturdays, rarely, never, every day, etc. Examples: 1. Philip gets up at 6 oclock every morning. 2. I go to school every day. 3. She sometimes goes out on Friday night. 4. I usually sleep late on Sunday morning. 5. Peter works for 8 hours every day. 6. We usually start work at 8 oclock. 7. My children often watch TV in the afternoon. 8. He always forgets his keys. When we talk about permanent or long-lasting situations Examples: 1. I work in a bank. 2. Kate speaks English very well. 3. Tom lives in London. When we talk about people or things in general Examples:

People make choices because they cant have everything they want. 2. Nurses work in clinics and hospitals. 3. Football is a very popular sport in Bulgaria. To indicate general truths, facts and scientific laws Examples: 1. The Earth is spherical. 2. My birthday is in May. 3. California is in the United States. 4. The sun rises in the east. 5. Water freezes at 0C (32F). When we talk about travel plans and timetables (mainly with verbs such as go, leave, arrive, start, come, return etc.) Examples: 1. We arrive in Rome at 6 p.m. 2. The train leaves in five minutes. 3. The course starts next Thursday. With state (or stative) verbs such as like, dislike, love, think, seem, look, know, feel, understand, want, need, hate, remember, forget, prefer, believe, mean, taste, hear, see, have (when the meaning is "possess"), own, belong, etc. These verbs are not normally used in the Continuous Tense (but there are exceptions). Examples: 1. She loves jazz music. 2. My aunt hates travelling by train. 3. I like ice cream. I dont like spinach. 4. I think she is a wonderful person. 5. Do you believe in God? 6. I have no money at the moment. 7. My brother has a new car. 8. That bicycle belongs to me. To give instructions/directions Examples: 1. Pour all ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix until smooth. 2. Walk down the street to the corner and then turn right. The Present Simple Tense is also used in: sentences after when, after, while, till / until, before, as soon as - When the rain stops, well go out. Ill call you back as soon as I return home. zero conditional sentences (when the result of the condition is always true) - If you heat water to 100C (212F), it boils. first conditional sentences (Often called the real conditional because it is used for real (or possible) situations. These situations take place if a certain condition is met.) - If you finish your homework Ill bring you to the zoo.

List of stative verbs

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Here is a comprehensive list of stative verbs: to adore to agree to appear (seem) to appreciate to be to believe to belong to to concern to consist of to contain to cost to deny to depend on to deserve to detest to disagree to dislike to doubt to equal to feel to fit to hate to have (possession) to hear to imagine to include to involve to know to lack to like to loathe to look (seem) to love to matter to mean to measure to mind to need to owe to own to please to possess to promise to realise to recognize to remember to resemble to satisfy to see to seem to smell to sound to suppose to surprise to taste to think (opinion) to understand to want to weigh to wish

Exercises 1. Write down the missing sentences: AFFIRMATIVE I you he she it we It rains. Do we dream? Dont we dream? 4 I play. You help. He does not answer. Does she sing? Doesnt she sing? NEGATIVE QUESTIONS

you they

You do not read. Do they work? Dont they work?

2. Arrange the words to make sentences in simple present. I / to collect stamps I collect stamps we / to play card games - . he / to read comics - . Chris / to sing in a band - . we / to have a hamster - ... Andy and John / to like cola - . she / to be nice - ... they / to help their parents - . the children / to speak English - .. I / to buy a newspaper every Saturday - .. 3.Choose the correct form. We sometimes (read, reads, doesnt read).. books. Emily (go, dont go, doesnt go)to the disco. It often (rain, dont rain, rains). on Sundays. Pete and his sister (doesnt drive, drives, drive). the family car. I always (walks, doesnt walk, walk).. to the bus stop. 4. Put the verbs into the correct form. I (to like). lemonade very much. The girls always (to listen) to pop music. Janet never (to wear) ..jeans. Mr Smith (to teach) ..Spanish and French. You (to do) your homework after school. 5. Fill in the correct form of the verbs. We (to have) .a nice garden. She (to be) six years old. Simon (to have). two rabbits and five goldfish. I (to be). from Vienna, Austria. They (to be) .Sandys parents. 6. Make negative sentences. My father makes breakfast. . They are eleven. .. She writes a letter. .. I speak Italian. 5

Danny phones his father on Sundays. 7. Make questions. you / to speak / English when / he / to go / home .. they / to clean / the bathroom .. where / she / to ride / her bike . Billy / to work / in the supermarket 8. Find the signal words for simple present. 1. Which is a signal word for simple present? a. now b. last Monday c. often 2. Which is a signal word for simple present? a. sometimes b. the moment c.yesterday 3. Which is a signal word for simple present? a. last Friday b. every Friday c. next Friday 4. Which is not a signal word for simple present? a. never b. already c. usually 5. Which is not a signal word for simple present? a. Listen! b. first ... then ... c. seldom

Present Continuous Tense

1. Structure The Present Continuous is made with the present form of the verb to be (I am, you are, he/she/it is, we are, you are, they are) + the -ing form of the main verb. The -ing form of the verb is called the Present Participle.
AFFIRMATIVE FORM NEGATIVE FORM QUESTION FORM

I You He She It We You They

am are is is is are are are

reading reading reading reading reading reading reading reading

I You He She It We You They

am are is is is are are are

not not not not not not not not

reading reading reading reading reading reading reading reading

Am Are Is Is Is Are Are Are

I you he she it we you they

reading? reading? reading? reading? reading? reading? reading? reading?

Contracted forms: I am = Im you are = youre he/she/it is = hes/shes/its 6

I am not = Im not you are not = you arent he/she/it is not = he isnt/she isnt/it isnt we are = were they are = theyre we are not = we arent they are not = they arent Examples: 1. What are you doing? 2. Im having a bath. 2. Using the Present Continuous Tense We most often use the Present Continuous when we talk about something which is happening at the time of speaking (now, at the moment): Examples: 1. Pamela is sleeping in the bedroom. 2. The telephone is ringing! 3. They are doing their homework. 4. Im waiting for my girlfriend in front of the cinema. Present Continuous is also used when we talk about something which is happening at present, but not necessarily at the moment of speaking: Examples: 1. Im reading an interesting book. 2. Tom is looking for a new job. 3. We are studying English and Spanish. We can use the Present Continuous when we talk about temporary actions taking place only for a period of time (today, this week, this semester, this year): Examples: 1. My husband is working hard today. 2. They are spending this week in Paris. 3. She is teaching English this semester. 4. We are staying at the Bristol Hotel tonight. 5. Im living with my parents at the moment but soon Ill buy my own house. Present Continuous is also used to express current trends: Examples: 1. Fuel prices are rising constantly because of strong demand. 2. On-line shopping is growing rapidly nowdays. We can use the Present Continuous when we talk about repeated actions which are irritating to the speaker (always, constantly): Examples: 1. He is always complaining from his colleagues. 2. My son is always getting into trouble in school. Sometimes we use the Present Continuous to describe a planned action in the near future: 7

3. He is reading a newspaper. 4. Are they working?

Examples: 1. Im leaving for Vienna tomorrow morning. 2. We are having lunch at 12.30 oclock.

Some verbs can be both stative and dynamic: Be be is usually a stative verb, but when it is used in the continuous it means behaving or acting you are stupid = its part of your personality you are being stupid = only now, not usually Think think (stative) = have an opinion I think that coffee is great think (dynamic) = consider, have in my head what are you thinking about? Im thinking about my next holiday Have have (stative) = own I have a car have (dynamic) = part of an expression Im having a party / a picnic / a bath / a good time / a break See see (stative) = see with your eyes / understand I see what you mean I see her now, shes just coming along the road see (dynamic) = meet / have a relationship with Ive been seeing my boyfriend for three years Im seeing Robert tomorrow Taste taste (stative) = has a certain taste This soup tastes great The coffee tastes really bitter taste (dynamic) = the action of tasting The chef is tasting the soup (taste is the same as other similar verbs such as smell)

Exercises 1. Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the verb in brackets. Example: I am listening (listen) to you. The train to Glasgow (leave) from platform 8. I ..(begin) to understand the Present Continuous now. Sue .(work) tonight. Listen! The telephone .(ring). Ms. Johnson .(see) a customer at 3 oclock. 8

2. Form complete sentences by putting the following words into the correct order: 1 living very Were flat. in a nice . 2 image. company hard improve its working to The is ..... 3 interesting China. book reading a Im very about .. 4 Saturday. The party a on are having Barrons .. 5 playing team are Our today. badly .. 6 train new with My playing son his is set. .. 7 her Sheilas mobile. to someone on talking .. 8 morning. Im Bob tomorrow at 12 meeting .. 9 is week. Rome flying to Margot next .. 10. meet am that you me. hoping will I .. Present Tense Continuous Negative Form I You He She It We They m not arent isnt isnt isnt arent arent playing football. standing up. listening to music. swimming. playing with the ball. going home. running.

Exercises 1. Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the verb in brackets. 9

Example: We arent watching (not watch) the television. My Dad .(not have) his lunch now. The kids ....(not study) tomorrow. It ...(not rain) today. I.(not study) German. We (not go) to Egypt on summer holiday. 2. Form complete sentences by putting the following words into the correct order: 1 homework. isnt English Anita doing her 2 the Progress having We Test today! arent 3 for the dinner. coming arent Unfortunately, Petersons 4 The photocopier isnt working. 5 renting arent and flat Lisa sister a her together. 6 arent working Saturday. We next 7 anywhere going at Clive and I weekends. arent 8 phone isnt ringing. The 9 Im anything not now. doing right . 10. playing Nobody computer games. is .

Present Tense Continuous Interrogative Form Am Are Is Is I you he she doing it right? listening to me? working today? speaking Chinese? 10

Is Are Are

it we they

working? going home now? watching TV?

Exercises 1. Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the verb in brackets. Example: Are you listening (you listen) to me? 1. . (it start) to rain? 2. .. (Sue study) to become a doctor? 3. .. (you take) your daughter with you? 4. ... (the dog play) with the kids? 5. ... (they come) tonight? 2. Form complete sentences by putting the following words into the correct order: 1 tennis Is with playing Pamela you tomorrow? .. 2 tonight? you Are doing anything .. 3 a they in Are London? bigger office into moving .. 4 presentations doing on his Is Sean Wednesday? .. 5 staying Is anyone classes? after else 6 Are going they already? home 7 your back? Isnt coming wife ... 8 you joking? Are 9 Are your taking play? part the in kids .. 10 watching anyone TV? Is 11

Wh- Questions What Where Who When What When What am are is is is are are I you he she it we they doing? living now? speaking to? coming? doing here? having the test? watching?

Exercises 1. Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the verb in brackets. What company ..(you work) for? What class ..(they study) in? Who (John shake) hands with? What time ..(your friends come)? What country (they visit) at the moment?

2. Form complete sentences by putting the following words into the correct order: 1. time are What friends coming? your . 2 visiting What you vocation? country on are . 3 are speaking to? you Who .. 4 you Where tonight? staying are . 5 doing? hell the are What you .. 6 arriving train is your When in Moscow? 7 with? my dancing wife Whos .. 12

8 buying? are What car they . 9 How coming? many people are 10 What you are drinking? THE ING FORMS OF THE VERBS Usually we add ing work stand learn working standing learning

When the verb ends in an e, we drop the e and add ing come coming have having write writing If a one syllable (with only one vowel sound) verb ends in one consonant (for example p, t, r) that follows one vowel (for example a, o, e), we double the consonant. swim swimming get getting stop stopping Some verbs have irregular ing form lie lying die dying travel Br. travelling Am. traveling Exercises Make the ing form of the verbs: coming .. watch .. skate .. smile .. die .. speak .. run .. meet .. talk .. have .. take .. live .. 13

sit go listen eat lie ski wear chat chew

.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

3. Choose the correct form of the verb depending on whether in this meaning it is an action or a state verb. If both the Present Continuous and the Present Simple tenses are possible, use the Present Continuous tense. 1. a) Why are you smelling the soup? b) Why do you smell the soup? 2. a) She was feeling his arm on her shoulder. b) She felt his arm on her shoulder. 3. a) Are you having an English dictionary? b) Do you have an English dictionary? 4. a) What are you thinking about? b) What do you think about? 5. a) I am feeling much better today. b) I feel much better today. 6. a) What are you looking at? b) What do you look at?

7. a) I am not hearing you. b) I cant hear you. 8. a) What are you thinking of me? b) What do you think of me? 9. a) I am feeling we should go home now. b) I feel we should go home now. 10. a) This bread is tasting funny. b) This bread tastes funny.

Present Tense Simple / Present Tense Continuous Permanent (usual) and Temporary (now, around now) actions. 14

We use the Present Continuous tense to speak about things which are happening now or things which are temporary. I am not working now. I am on holiday. Sally is listening to a new CD. Who are you phoning? The Present Simple tense describes usual, repeated and permanent things which happen for example, always, usually, often, sometimes, never. I work as an accountant. John doesnt know German. How often do you play tennis? Compare how these two tenses are used. Why are you walking to work? Dont you usually go by bus? I live in Kharkiv, but now I am living in Moscow. Usually we have dinner at 7, but today we are having it at 9. Some verbs are not normally used in the Continuous Tense. They are called state verbs. Present Continuous and Present Simple to talk about the future. We use the Present Continuous Tense for plans and arrangements. What are you doing tonight? Im seeing a very important customer in my office at 4 oclock. We are going to the see for our holiday. Where are you staying in Vienna? Im not going anywhere. It is final. We use the Present Simple in the conditional clauses after if, when, as soon as, until etc, and when we talk about timetable, schedules, itineraries etc. What will you do if you fail your exam? We will wait until she comes. My plane takes off at 9.00. The President arrives in Norway on 17 September. What time does your train leave? Exercises 1. Put the verb in brackets in the correct form, either the Present Simple Tense or the Present Continuous Tense. 1. I ..a very interesting book.(to read) 2. Joanne eight hours a day. (to work) 3. Tonight we a play at the theatre. (to watch) 4. Whoto? (he, to speak) 5. I him very well. (to know) 15

6. What will you do if she..late?(to come) 7. My wifecoffee for breakfast. (to have) 8. What .for breakfast? (you, to have) 9. Your train ..at 17.25 from platform 3. (to leave) 10. What? Shes a student. (she, to do) 2. Put the verbs into present progressive. 1. My sister (to clean) the bathroom. 2. Look! They (to go) .inside. 3. I (to wait) in the car now. 4. Mrs Miller (to listen) to CDs. 5. We (to speak) .English at the moment. 3. Choose the correct form. Note that there are exceptions in spelling when adding ing. 1. His brother .a test at the moment. (does, is doing, do) 2. They .in the pool. (are swimming, swim, swims) 3. Look! David and Max home. (come, comes, are coming) 4. My dog Charlie ..to the park. (go, goes, is going) 5. I ..breakfast now. (make, is making, am making) 4. Rewrite the sentences using the short forms (where long forms are given) or the long forms (where short forms are given). 1. We are reading a letter. .... 2. He is opening the window. ...... 3. I am playing computer games. ..... 4. Shes dancing at the party. ... 5. Theyre drinking a cup of tea. ...... 5. Rewrite the sentences using the negative forms. 1. We are playing a game. .. 2. Im drawing a picture. 3. He is making pizza right now. .... 4. Susan and her brother are taking photos. 5. Dad is working in the kitchen. 6. Write questions in present progressive. Robin / to ride / his bike .. where / she / to go .. what / your mother / to do / now 7. Which is a signal word for the present progressive? 1. often now sometimes 2. always Look! at the moment .. 16

Past Simple Tense Structure

The past simple tense of the most English verbs (regular verbs) is formed by adding "-ed"/"-d" to their base form. (If the verb ends in "-e", we add "-d" to form the past simple.) There are also some verbs called irregular verbs that have special past tense forms. Here are some examples of irregular verbs: to do did done to be was/ were been to make made - made Affirmative form Regular verbs: base form + "-ed" or "-d": work + "-ed" = worked live + "-d" = lived I/you/he/she/it/we/they worked I/you/he/she/it/we/they lived Irregular verbs: past form only I/you/he/she/it/we/they saw To form the negative and interrogative sentences we use the past form of auxiliary verb do --> did: Negative form I you he/she/it we they DID + NOT /DIDN'T/ + WORK

He didn't work yesterday. She didn't see him last night. Interrogative form I you he/she/it we they

DID

WORK?

Did he work yesterday? Did she see him last night? 17

If it is the verb "to be" we use was/were before the subject: Was he at the office the other day? Questions and short answers: Did you go to the cinema last night? Yes, I did. No, I didn't. Did he speak with Kate yesterday? Yes, he did. No, he didn't. Spelling rules for the past simple of regular verbs: if a regular verb ends in consonant + y change y to i and add -ed: carry - carried, study - studied, fry - fried, try - tried if a one syllable regular verb ends in consonant + vowel + consonant double the final consonant and add -ed -> stop - stopped, plan - planned, rob - robbed, beg - begged if a regular verb has more than one syllable and ends in consonant + vowel + consonant, we double the final consonant only if the final syllable is stressed -- > preFER - preferred, regRET - regretted Exception: In British English verbs ending in -l have -ll before -ed whether the final syllable is stressed or not -- > travel travelled Pronunciation of final "-ed" (regular verbs): after an unvoiced consonant sound (sh/ s / ch / p / k / f ) we pronounce /t/: wash (/sh/) - washed (/t/); kiss (/s/) - kissed (/t/); work (/k/) - worked (/t/); hope (/p/) - hoped (/t/); laugh (/f/) - laughed (/t/) after a vowel and voiced consonant sounds we pronounce /d/: phone (/n/) - phoned (/d/); judge (/dg/) judged (/d/); turn (/n/) - turned (/d/); play (/ei/) - played (/d/); follow (/ou/) - followed (/d/) after /t/ and /d/ sounds we pronounce /-id/: visit (/t/) - visited (/id/); start (/t/) - started (/id/); need (/d/) needed (/id/) Exception! The verb to be is different. We conjugate the verb to be (I was, you were, he/she/it was, we were, they were); and we do not use an auxiliary for negative and question sentences. To make a question, we exchange the subject and verb. Look at these examples: subject I, he/she/it + You, we, they I, he/she/it You, we, they ? Was were I, he/she/it not happy. right? 18 were was in London. not there. main verb was here.

Were

you, we, they

late?

We use the Past Simple Tense: to describe actions and situations that happened in the past. These actions and situations were started and finished in the past. Examples: 1. We arrived at 9:00 o'clock. 2. This morning I went to the supermarket. 3. The teacher went to the desk. 4. He didn't hear the telephone. 5. Susan bought her little sister a doll. 6. We came here in 1980. 7. I worked at Johnson & Co. from 1990 to 1995. 8. My brother lived in London for six years. (he doesn't live there anymore) The sentence often contains an adverb or adverb phrase of time, such as yesterday, the other day, last night, last week, three days ago, a few minutes ago, in (year), from (year) to (year), etc. to talk about habitual or repeated actions that took place in the past Examples: 1. When she was young, she danced beautifully. 2. He played the violin when he was a child. 3. We often went there. 4. I saw her every day. Note: This use is also often expressed with used to: Bob used to smoke 20 cigarettes a day. to tell a story and to express actions which follow each other in a story Examples: It happened one night in the winter. 2. She opened her bag, took out the key and unlocked the door. to refer to the historical past or to events that have happened in the distant past relative to the speaker Examples: 1. World War II ended in 1945. 2. Romans built strong bridges.

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for reporting what someone said (converting from direct to reported speech) Examples: 1. David said that he was tired. 2. The doctor told me that I would have to stay in the hospital for a week. to talk about action in the past that took place in the middle of another action Examples: 1. When Peter arrived, I was reading a book. 2. I was having a bath when the phone rang. for making second conditional sentences (also called conditional type 2) when we talk about an imaginary or unlikely situation and to describe its result. (If + past simple, would + infinitive) Examples: 1. If I won the lottery, I would travel the world. 2. If I were you, I wouldn't marry him. Exercises 1. Put the verbs into the simple past: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Last year I (go)to England on holiday. It (be) .fantastic. I (visit) .lots of interesting places. I (be) ..with two friends of mine . In the mornings we (walk) in the streets of London. In the evenings we (go) ..to pubs. The weather (be) strangely fine. It (not / rain) .a lot. But we (see) ..some beautiful rainbows. Where (spend / you) ..your last holiday?

3. Fill in the blanks below with one of the 15 irregular past tense verbs in the box. ate came did drank gave got made met ran read saw swam took went rode

1. He. his homework before he went to school. 2. It was cold so we some hot chocolate. 3. I .. a sandcastle when I went to the beach. 4. It was a hot day so she in the lake yesterday. 20

5. His car had a flat tire so he the bus to work. 6. I a horse last summer when I went to my uncle's farm. 7. I was late for class so I .. to school. 8. I.. two hamburgers so I am full. 9. Ia good book before I went to bed. 10. She . a lion when she went to the zoo. 11. A letter.. in the mail today. 12. They .. hiking yesterday. 13. I. my brother a game for his birthday. 14. She.a good report card so her mom was happy. 15. I my friends when we went to the park. 4. Fill in with the correct form of the verb in brackets
1. Yesterday I ..to the movies. (go) 2 .My sister ..a birthday cake for me last week. (make) 3. Steve ..his bicycle to school yesterday. (ride) 4. My friends to Los Angeles two weeks ago. (drive) 5. Elizabeth some flowers to her mother last Saturday.(take) 6. Kevin his leg while he was playing football. (break) 7. Last week my aunt .a baby. (have) 8. When we cleaned the yard, we ..a lot of work. (do) 9. The child .some milk last night. (drink) 10. My teacher some new books last month. (buy)

The Past Continuous Tense Structure The Past Continuous is made with the Past form of the verb "to be" (I was, you were, he/she/it was, we were, you were, they were) + the '-ing' form of the main verb. The '-ing' form of the verb is called the Present Participle. Past Continuous (Progressive) Tense

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Affirmative (Positive) Form I You He She It We You They was were was was was were were were reading reading reading reading reading reading reading reading I You He She It We You They

Negative Form was were was was was were were were not not not not not not not not reading reading reading reading reading reading reading reading Was Were Was Was Was Were Were Were

Question Form I you he she it we you they reading? reading? reading? reading? reading?
reading?

reading? reading?

We use the Past Continuous Tense: We use the Past Continuous Tense to say that someone was at the middle of doing something at a certain time. The action or situation has already started before this time but hadn't finished yet: Examples: 1. What were they doing at 10 o'clock? They were working at the garden. 2. Last summer at this time he was visiting Mexico. 3. Karen was walking to school at 8.30 this morning. 4. They were dancing at a friend's birthday party last night at 10.30 p.m. The Past Continuous is also used together with the Past Simple to say that somehing happens at the middle of something else: Examples: 1. David was reading a book in the park when suddenly it began to rain. 2. While I was walking down the street I met an old friend. 3. He phoned as we were leaving the house. 4. They were playing cards when Jim came. We can use the Past Continuous to indicate that two actions in the past were in the progress simultaneously (with while): Examples: 1. While I was studying in one room my older sister was having a party in the other room. 2. While James was washing the car his wife was cleaning the house. The Past Continuous is used to express action that were in progress at the time of another particular time: Examples: 1. It was snowing all morning. 22

2. They were driving all night long. The Past Continuous is also used to talk about irritating repeated actions in the past (with always, constantly): Examples: 1. My girlfriend was always coming late. 2. He was always forgetting to close the door. We use the Past Continuous to make polite inquiries: Example: I was wondering if you could lend me your new car for a few hours. Remember that we do not normally use the Past Continuous with no action verbs like seem, know, feel, hear, smell, taste, hate, hope, mean, prefer, love, like, etc.

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